Top 5 Comic Book Picks For July 2017

1. DARTH VADER #3 / Marvel Comics

Written by Charles Soule / Art by Giuseppe Camuncoli

The new DARTH VADER ongoing comic is so great. I know issues #1 and #2 took the top spot last month, but I just couldn’t resist putting it here again because it’s THAT good. While the previous ongoing VADER book was set in-between A NEW HOPE and EMPIRE, this one begins just moments after REVENGE OF THE SITH. Darth Vader has been born and this book explores his new path as he comes to terms with his tragic past, bows before the Emperor, and begins to gain his reputation as a force to be reckoned with. Issue #3 follows Vader as he confronts one of the very last remaining Jedi who he’s ordered to kill and then claim his lightsaber. Epic stuff people, get in on this one while it’s new.

2. MONSTRESS Vol. 2 / Image Comics

Written by Marjorie Liu / Art by Sana Takeda

I don’t even know where to begin with MONSTRESS. It’s so damn good. I’ll tell you writer Marjorie Liu and artist Sana Takeda have created something so dense and full of detail that it begs to be binge-read to keep it all in order. Some books just read better in collected volume and MONSTRESS is definitely one of those books. It revolves around Maika Halfwolf who has some sort of demon residing within her and she needs to learn how to control it as she discovers secrets about her late mother while being tracked and hunted by a variety of evil forces. If the overall story synopsis doesn’t convince to to check this book out, I guarantee you the art will. Arguably the most gorgeous book on shelves.

3. JEAN GREY #4 / Marvel Comics

Written by Dennis Hopeless / Art by Harvey Tolibao

My best advice to X-Men fans yearning for a good book would be to read X-MEN BLUE and JEAN GREY. Maybe I’m a little bias here due to my overwhelming love for Cyclops and Jean Grey, but I’m telling you these books are really fun and compliment one another very well. Both books revolve around the time-displaced teen versions of the original core X-Men. The things they are doing with young Jean Grey are simply epic. She’s a young and extremely powerful mutant waking up to her potential. In issue #4 we get a legendary team-up between Jean and Thor (male version). And Jean learns a new and unexpected power that is cool as hell.

4. STAR WARS #33 / Marvel Comics

Written by Jason Aaron / Art by Salvador Larroca

The latest issue of Jason Arron’s ongoing STAR WARS book kind of reads like a one-shot. It centers on Luke and Leia as they get stranded on a mysterious island that holds many secrets above and below its surrounding waters. It was a fun team-up issue revealing yet another cool and unexplored section of this galaxy far far away. It’s fun watching these two interact before they know they are siblings. Some of the cheek pecks and underlaying sexual tension is a bit off, but it’s no different than rewatching A NEW HOPE. Anyways, this has always been a very strong book and never disappoints.

5. ASTONISHING X-MEN / Marvel Comics

Written by Charles Soule / Art by Jim Cheung

Marvel’s latest effort to recycle popular titles is yet another iteration of ASTONISHING X-MEN. And I was kind of surprised by how much I enjoyed it. X-MEN BLUE and X-MEN GOLD have been scratching an itch and ASTONISHING scratches that itch even more offering a fun cast that includes Old Man Logan (boring), Psylocke, Gamit, Rogue, Mystique, Fantomex, Bishop, and Angel. This first issue moved at a quick pace, introduced some interesting character dynamics, and offered one hell of a last page. Trust me, this issue changed the X-Men landscape in a pretty big way. Not to be missed.

And don’t miss:

Top 5 Comic Picks June 2017

Top 5 Comic Book Picks May 2017

Top 5 Comic Book Picks April 2017

Top 5 Comic Book Picks March 2017

Top 5 Comic Book Picks February 2107

Top 5 Comic Book Picks January 2017

Top 5 Comic Book Picks (January-December 2016)

Top 5 Comic Book Picks (January-December 2015)